Federer skips Dubai and Davis Cup

Roger Federer, former world nr.1, withdrew today from the Davis Cup encounter between USA and Switzerland. He will also skip the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Dubai.

This is Roger's statement on his official website:

Dear Fans,
Today I am disappointed to announce that I am withdrawing from both Dubai and the Davis Cup tie in the United States. This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favorite events on tour in Dubai but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup. After injuring my back last fall, I did not have enough time to strengthen it completely. As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season.
As always, thanks for your continued support.
Roger

~shaw